Connecter for bulbous terminals



Jan. 20, 1931. J. o. cAnu-:ux 1,789,935

CONNECTER FOR BULBOUS TERHINALS Filed Dac. 6. 1929 l NVENTOR PatentedJan. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE n JOSEPH O. CADIEUX, OFMERIDEN CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 CONNECTICUT TELE- PHONE ELECTRICCORPORATION, OF DELAWARE OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUTA CORPORATION CONNECTERFOR BULBOUS TERMINALS Application med December` e, 1929. .serial Ne.412,212.

AThis invention relates to electrical connecters, especially those usedfor attaching a conductor to a bulbous terminal such as is found on theupper end of a spark plug for example. A connecter of this type used inthe ignition circuit of an aeroplane engine must be adapted to be easilyand quickly attached `and disconnected and the connecter `must be ca#pable of securely holding on to the terminal under extreme engine andlanding vibrations as well as under operating temperatures.

Y An object of this invention is to provide af connecter of the abovetype which is quickly attachable and detachable, admirably suited forthese purposes, of simple constructiom of reasonable cost ofmanufacture, adapted for freely pivoting on saidterminal while Vsecurelyretained in position by alyieldable latch whichy practically preventsseparation of Vthe jaws when embracing said contact,

and which is shaped for yieldably engaging the jaws to prevent itsaccidentally sliding oit the jaws. Y i 4 Another Objectis to provide aconnecter of this class which is an improvement upon the connecterdescribed and claimed in the application of Frank A. Young S; N. 320,843led Nov. 1, 1928, especially in the provision of a simplified andimproved cooperation be tween the latch and jaws providing an excellentelectrical connection and for holding the latch in its jaw limitingposition.

In the drawings Fig. 1 shows a longitu-V dinal section through oneembodiment of this invention with the latch in its aw limiting position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the latch moved to a position allowingseparation of the jaws so that the bulbous contact may be quicklyengaged.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a clip 10 having conducting jawseach provided with a recess 11 preferably a hole for retaining the jawson a bulbous terminal 9.

A yieldable latch 12 is hinged or pivotally secured to the jaws by meansof rivets 14e and is provided with a handle portion 13 spanning the jawsadjacent their end portions,

`the handle serving to move the latch about cesses 11.

Perforations are formed and the edges.y

turned inwardly as annular shoulders 15.

These projections or shoulders are shaped to extend into the jawrecesses 11 and preferably engage the bulbous terminal 9 which extendswithin the latch recesses as well asV within the. jaw recesses. Thewalls of said projections,that is, the walls around the latch recesses,are .inclined as illustrated, so that the latch is yieldably retained inthe position shown in Fig. 1. l

Preferably the latch and jaws are each made of .spring brassV orphosphor bronze.A

The configuration of the handle portion V13 shown in Fig. 1 permitslimited yield of the latch in moving 'from the position shown in Fig. 2to that shown in Fig. 1 and yet enables the latch to prevent the jawsseparating far enough to come off the terminal 9 when the parts areinterlocked.

Atubular rivet 16 may secure the clip'lO intermediate the j aws to thesleeve 17 preferably ofv molded Ainsulating material.V A conductor 18passes into the sleeve and may be secured ingood electrical contactbymeans of a screw, solder or the like.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the engagementwith the bulbous terminal of the sharp edges of the perforations or thejaws and in the latch 12. Having the latch engage theterminal as well asthe j awsinsures the best electrical connec tion while at the same timepermitting pivotal movement of the jaws andthe bulbous terminal wheneverdesired. Where the latch is provided with an inwardly extending'proingformed on the latch and extending inwardly.

rlhe reason for this is that when moved sli ghtlv from its positionshown in F l the latch does not tend to si? away from the jaw recessesuntil the laten has been moved a greater distance than the radim recess.There is no tende to slide awav om the re the inwardljy exten-di clearedthe sides of latch has been moved a the jaw recess than is shown rlhecross piece of the handle is slightly resilient but will not stret topermit the clip to be pulled oil. son of the shape and correlation othey will stav securelyY in plfheated and subjected to vio; it vibratieThe sharp edges around Vie jaw and latch l l perforations malze a betterelectrical connection than does a cup-shaped d L ssion in case theterminal 9 should be coater-L with dirt or oxide because the sharp edgestend to scrape oit and cut through tl o1 spreading and ironing it outsoup-shaped depressions tend to do. rlhe holes also permit the dirt,etc. to escape instead ot collecting the dirt as mere depressions do.

l claim l. The combination with y'eldable conducting jaws, eachprovid-cd with a perforation for receiving a bulbous terminal betweensaid jaws, of a jf'ieldable latch shaped to span the end portions ofsaid jaws tor holding them on said terminal, said latch being providedon its opposite sides with recesses and the walls around each latch reess being inclined to cooperate with the walls of thcij aw recesses.

A connecter comprising spaced yielda-ble conducting jaws having recessestherein to receive a bulbous terminal between said jaws, a conductorconnected to said jaws, a latch outside the jaws and supported on eachyjaw between its recess and said conductor,

said latch having a handle yportion constructed to span the jawsadjacent their end portions for limiting their separation when embracingsaid contact, said latch being movable by means ot said handle portionto a position allowing separation of saidjaws for engagement anddisengagement with a terminal and said latch provided with means foryieldably engaging said terminal within the jaw recesses to hold thelatch in jaw limiting position.

3. A connecter comprising spaced yieldable conducting jaws havingrecesses therein to receive a bulbous terminal between said jaws, aconductor connected to said jaws, a latch outside the jaws and pivotallysupported on each jaw between -its recess and said condutor, said latchhaving a handle portionconstructed to span the jaws adja- Le dirtinstead for yieldablv engaging saic terminal within he jaw recesses andfor yieldably engaging said aws adjacent their recesses to hold thelatch in rits jaw limiting position.` i

Lt. in electrical connecter comprising a clip adapted at its inner endto be connected to a conductor anl having perforated spring jaws VithmoVableouter ends, a latch member having side arms with ends pivoted tothe inner ends of the spring jaws, said latch having` .inturnedprojections adaptedwhen the latch is in one position to extend into saidperforations and 'nterlock with the jaws and a cross bar connecting theouter ends of the side arms and serving as a handle to swing the latchinto interlocking engagement with the jaws, Y 5, An electrical connectercomprising a cli hatf'ing'apair ot spring arms with spaced e lls andwithperforations to receive a bulbons terminal, av` latch in the form ofa bail having arms hinged to the arms of the clip by means oi rivetsandhaving a cross piece serving as a handle to swing over the ends or"the clip arms, said-bai having perforations in its arms adaptedtoregister with the pertorations in the clip arms, one pair of armshaving flanges around Vits perforations adapted to extend 'into theperforations in the other arms, and to engage said bulbous terminal,said perfo-rations in the arms of the clip and the latch providingpassages leading from the bulbous terminalwhereby accumulations ofdirtand foreign matter may escape from the terminal upon its vibration.

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